Stolen Thoughts
by Darlin
Summary: When Storm discovers fan fiction she's appalled, intrigued & soon obsessed with RoLo stories. Caught up in the addictive world her secret pleasure soon becomes a pain when Gambit tries to find out just what she's up to. Remy's interference could be a blessing in disguise or it just might be the death of him.
1. It Takes a Thief to Know a Thief

**Stolen Thoughts – by Darlin**

**Disclaimer** – I neither own them nor make any profit from the tormented fantasies of my mind.

**A/N** – Now that Storm's divorced I've been writing again and found a lot of old stories I never got around to posting after that marriage, this is one of them. I wrote it in 2008 when Ororo was the leader of the XSE in Xtreme X-Men I think and it's kind of poking fun of fan fiction and thus myself a little. It was mostly finished so I tweaked it and might redo the ending a little this week but the next and last chapter will be up shortly.

I wanted to post it as a one shot but it was over 9,000 words and a friend, fellow fan fic author skyz (good Buffy writer), thought it should be two chapters so I'm going for two chapters. But I'm curious what readers think. Do you prefer a long one shot or do you like shorter chapters with maybe an update in a week? I'd really like some input if possible. I also hesitate to upload completed chapter stories all at once. I have a few at the RoLo Realm that I thought I should post here and vice versa but someone at the Realm asked me to take my time posting the completed story so I obliged. Maybe I'll put up my very first poll as it would help me a lot deal knowing what you all think and that might be easier all around. Thanks for any feedback you can give. And now, let the story begin . . .

**Chapter One - It takes a Thief to Know a Thief**

Ororo was livid, and shaking so badly her laptop almost slipped from her hand. She wanted to take it and slam it upside Remy's head. And he looked as if he knew she would as he cowered before her, his arms stretched out, ready to block the blow.

But instead she cried, "Why would you do that to me? You're supposed to be my best friend!"

"I _am_, Stormy! Dat's why I did it! I want you to be happy!"

Her best friend had invaded her privacy and stolen her journal because he wanted her to be happy. She shook her head at the outrageous notion. Was she supposed to be happy because he knew all her secrets now? A journal was the keeper of ones most private thoughts, all her loves and hates, every emotion imaginable, written down for no one but her. No one should ever know her innermost thoughts unless she decided to tell. That was why it was hidden away in the darkest nook of her greenhouse where no one would ever think to look. Remy had betrayed her because of his stupid competitiveness, he'd broken the bond of friendship that she thought could never be broken between them. She was stunned and humiliated and furious but mostly she was hurt.

"Remy only dun it for you, chère," he pleaded but a sudden wind storm drowned out his words. He felt the wind pushing him, tearing him, destroying him.

**-xox-**

It started innocently enough. Gambit wandered into the greenhouse, bored, and wanting a little companionship and since his best friend Storm hadn't gone on that morning's mission who better to hang out with? But Ororo was reading – no, he saw she was writing, so she didn't notice him. Maybe he wouldn't have cared what she was scribbling but she was smiling with so much satisfaction that he had to know. And so he crept up to her quietly like the thief that he was. But during a lull as Ororo contemplated what she'd just written, she heard a quiet crunch on the gravel walkway between her tables of pots and bags of earth and compost. She looked startled but quickly smiled and put her pen in the book, closed it and put it on a small Chinese garden stool beside the bench she was sitting on.

"What ya doin'?" the curious Cajun asked.

"Not much. What're you doing? Wait, let me guess, you're bored since Rogue's out, am I right?"

He felt a little silly because she was right.

"Why don't we go into town?" she suggested.

"Cool, let's go!"

His mood lifted now, Remy almost forgot what Ororo had been doing, and he might never have thought of it again except that when they were outside she looked uneasy and said she'd forgotten something, asked him to wait, then slipped back inside. Remy lit a cigarette as if he didn't mind waiting but his curiosity was piqued again so he carefully peeked through a side window. He saw her looking around every so often as if to see if he was spying on her so he had to keep ducking out of sight and this was the final nail in the coffin. When she got to where she'd been sitting she retrieved the book, looked around again, still didn't see him, then she dropped the book into something under a work bench.

"Hmm," Remy murmured, tucking all this into the back of his mind for further investigation for only a thief would want to outwit another thief in such a trivial matter.

It went downhill from there. Remy was too preoccupied to enjoy his outing with Ororo who didn't offer any clues as to what she'd been doing. They had lunch, played some pool and she even offered to see a movie with him but he thought she was trying too hard to keep his mind off of what she'd hidden since she was just as good a thief as he was and she must have known he'd been watching. He told her he was tired and wanted to relax so they went back each going their separate ways.

And of course Remy scampered down the back way and found a good spot where he could see the greenhouse without being seen. Shortly he saw her go in and after a long while come out again but with no sign of the book. She put something into the same hand bag she'd had when they'd gone out although Remy knew she never carried a purse to the greenhouse, and she smiling so smugly, as if she were certain she'd out tricked him, that Remy took it as an invitation to beat her at her own game. And so, patience being one of a thief's virtues, later that night when he knew Ororo was sound asleep he snuck into the greenhouse.

He'd been prepared for a long night searching every inch of the place thoroughly but as he was quite skilled in thievery and he knew Ororo so well he found the book almost immediately. It was submerged in a bag of tiny white rock-like balls Remy had often seen mixed in with the dirt in Ororo's houseplants. He didn't look at the name of the bag, didn't care what it was, but it was perlite and a good choice for a hiding place because after he pulled it out he had to get down on his hands and knees and pick up all the little pieces that spilled out. He only had a tiny flashlight so cleaning up his mess took a while. But he'd retrieved the hidden gem so covering his tracks carefully was a must.

By time he was satisfied that he'd gotten every last one of those little things he sat down on the bench and aimed the light at his stolen treasure. The cover was blank but when he looked inside he knew he should put the book back immediately. Only he didn't. He kept reading. And this is what he read:

_As I put pen to paper I think of all the many people who enjoy writing as much as I do. Although I write only in my journal I sometimes wish to write that great American novel. It's a dream only for I have never made the attempt. I suppose reading is more of a tangible passion for me. I'm always interested in something new. I mentioned this once to Manoli Wetherell my reporter friend when we were discussing our mutual love of writing and reading. _

_Perhaps I should rephrase that for I would not quite classify Manoli as a friend. At times she has written our story attempting to portray mutants as more than super powered menaces. She introduced me to something entirely bewildering several months ago and it's led to a discovery of something both wonderful and terrible. There's a strange source of entertainment called fan fiction on the Internet. Apparently there are many thousands who both admire and loathe the X-Men to the point of fixation, and some of them have set up sites, almost like shrines, in our honor_!

Here Remy frowned. "What de hell's fan fiction?" he questioned.

_For some unknown reason Manoli thought this was amusing and therefore thought I would share her feelings. She was wrong. I found it almost frightening and wouldn't you if someone were writing about your life, whether hating or admiring you, all desiring to do with you what they wished they themselves could do in reality?_

"What's dis? Some kind of porn she been lookin' at? My Stormy's reading porn? Pfftt!" he harrumphed in disbelief and kept reading.

_It took me some time to fully comprehend what fan fiction was. Manoli explained it to me by using television shows as an example. But as I have little time for television and movies, save for the news, I failed to understand._ _But then she mentioned a movie trilogy that I enjoyed, The Lord of the Ring. Remy told me about them and we saw each one numerous times. Having read the books, I couldn't imagine how I could improve them but I could definitely imagine how I might improve the movies, stupendous though they were. Manoli explained that fan fiction is like filling in the blanks where you wished to improve a scene, or you wanted something different to happen with the characters or you wanted a better ending._

"How she t'ink she gonna improve Jackson's work?" Remy muttered before continuing.

_There are unbelievable stories about us out there. And I wonder do they really perceive us the way we are portrayed? I am often weak, needy, forced to be calm and unemotional. But of course what else could they write if they don't truly know me? Still, I wonder why I am seen in this way as I've been a leader with the X-Men for many years_.

Remy laughed and said adamantly, "Stormy ain't weak or needy at all!"

_I wonder how they can have such potent feelings regarding us. For instance there are those that hate Jean with heartfelt hatred and others wish to see Scott killed many times over, sometimes with spoons of all things. I can't imagine why or even how anyone could feel this way. There are also those whom act as if the dead are still among us. These people who write about us seem to know so much about us yet they know so little. _

"Who're dese people?" Remy wondered.

_I have read a great many stories almost as if I were obsessed with the need to know all that is written about us. Many have us doing strange and even twisted things, things none of the X-Men in their right minds would do. I have been paired with one of our worse enemies – Sabertooth of all creatures! _

"Oh, hell no?" Remy nearly gagged he was so upset but he kept reading as if _he_ had now become obsessed.

_And yet I continue to read, thankful whenever a new story pops up! It is as if fans, if one could call them this, cannot let us be. Many of them for some peculiar reason think Remy is the man for me despite the fact that we are only friends. Curiously many express his Cajun speech pattern almost perfectly in most stories and I am sure they have never met him. _

"Dey got stories 'bout me an' Stormy?" Remy gulped but even that bit of news didn't stop him from going on.

_I'm also paired with Logan_.

"What?" Remy bellowed.

_While it is true that many people clamor for him to be with Jean, presumably after Scott has been done in by spoons, Logan himself told me he was over Jean. I'm sure he has always known deep inside that Jean and Scott were made for each other although I can now see why Jean was attracted to Logan when we all first met. _

_There are a lot of rabid Wolverine fans online. Many pair him with Rogue. _

"Logan and Rogue? The hell's wrong wid dese people!" Remy shouted then looked around as if he thought someone had heard him but he was still alone in the dark greenhouse. He read on.

_She's a strange Rogue named Marie who has no resemblance to the Rogue I know. She's usually very young, quite weak, even powerless and utterly silly though not quite as silly as the valley girl Kitty stories I have chanced upon. _

Remy muttered, "Rogue definitely ain't weak!"

_I never understand stories like those but Manoli says there are different versions of us in media such as cartoons and movies and comic books of all things! How did I miss all this? No matter. She said stories like these are AU meaning 'alternate universe' where we can be twisted and manipulated at the author's whim. I am thoroughly grateful that it is AU. Were these things to actually happen in our universe with my friends, so different from whom they truly are, I doubt I'd be able to tell friend from foe._

_I wonder if AU really means 'actually unbelievable' for many AU stories read like fantasy from some tormented mind. Yet I too have had many 'what if' scenarios play out in my mind – those thoughts that I like to think would accumulate into a great novel. Egos are funny things. I suppose if I acknowledge my own I can better understand these poor, besotted writers pecking away long days and nights on a computer while their real lives are forgotten or neglected for would it be possible for them to enjoy healthy, vibrant lives while writing our stories in often long and detailed tales? _

_But I digress. I can't judge or condemn these avid fans. I should be delighted that we are not as feared and hated as I thought we were. And I'm almost ashamed to admit that despite the strangeness of these stories I find some of them have given me great pleasure. It's a guilty pleasure much like chocolate or a heavenly hamburger with everything on it. No, I am _not_ a vegetarian although I've been described that way often. I do eat right of course but sometimes a good burger is the only thing that can satisfy a craving. _

_And I have cravings for more than food. I am a woman after all. _

"What de . . . ?" Remy mumbled but he was too intent on reading about her cravings to say more.

_I wish there was some type of AU magic that could make me slip into a story and disappear into a world of my own creation with a man whom I could love and respect and cherish till I was old and ready for my grave. Since my failed relationships with Forge and Cameron I fear that love is not meant for me. Perhaps that is to be my fate, no other life outside of the X-Men just as Forge feared. Am I then turning into the ice queen of fan fiction? No! I think these stories have revived in me a desire to live life to the fullest!_

"Forge an' dat kid Cameron are losers, couldn't appreciate Stormy an' she's better off for dat!" Remy snarled.

_So I enjoy my little guilty indulgence late at night in secret. Safe in the darkness of my room I ravish these stories. I know I am becoming like __them__, obsessed fan fiction writers and readers, but I can't help myself. Surely I do not need psychological help? I think not but I hesitate to finish my thoughts. Yet why should I be afraid when this is my private journal meant for only my eyes? _

Here Remy gulped as his guilty conscious set in but it didn't stop him from reading more of her private thoughts.

_I confess, and I know it's sad, but the pairing I enjoy the most is me and Logan. These are called RoLo. Even writing that makes me shudder from delight. Those who write about us as a couple love us so much they've given us this nickname as if were a delicious treat! I shiver with delight when I think about it. I know it sounds crazy, even juvenile. I'm far too old to act this way, yet I almost have to check the Internet daily to see if there is some new development with Logan and me in my favorite stories or if (and now I can actually feel goose bumps rising on my arms) an entirely new RoLo story has been posted for me to enjoy! _

"Why didn't I know dis?" Remy wanted to know.

_You simply cannot imagine how much I love these stories. It has become a rabid hobby of mine and so I can see how it could for the humans who contribute to this madness. Ah, to call it madness is wrong! I know now that those who write these fascinating stories and those who eagerly consume them such as I, we are the sanest of them all for those who still dream, thrive!_

_Alas, my dreams are of Logan. I should be appalled or at least amused but I'm neither. I wake with – no, I refuse to dwell upon that. Let it suffice to say that I have had some very good dreams about him and they make me happy. _

"Oh, Stormy, why him of all people?" Remy moaned.

_But the stories are even better! Many times we fall in love after Jean is dead or married off. I don't get pleasure from her death of course but it makes me feel loved beyond measure and I know that if I were to be loved by Logan it would be just that way for he could love no less. _

Remy groaned. "But why'd it have to be de Wolverine!"

_Of course I wish Jean only happiness, hopefully with Scott although I wonder now if he can give her the happiness she deserves. I love Scott but he and Emma are getting on my very last nerve. I can't help it. Emma to me is evil personified even though we have managed to work together and have a begrudging truce of some bizarre sort._

_Never mind. I can't and won't discuss those two here. This is the only place where I can relax and be myself. Interesting enough I have found an Internet site that has live journals where one can post their thoughts and others can comment. That is not the medium for me however. I need pen and paper, something I can hide away safe from prying eyes. What if someone here at the school read my thoughts online and guessed it was actually me writing such intimate and 'out of character' things? _

_Few here truly know me. Perhaps many of them view me as these writers do, especially the children for I've spent no time with them, something I should probably rectify. Children are very impressionable and having Emma as a role model can't be good. I wouldn't be surprised if she allowed them on all types of inappropriate sites. Oh no! Could they already know about fan fiction? By the bright lady! I hadn't thought of that! Well I'll have Forge look into blocking this nonsense. There is no reason for the students to be exposed to such nonsense. Now where was I?_

"But _she_ reads dat nonsense!" Remy noted but he had to laugh when he read more.

_Hmm, did that sound hypocritical? I suppose. Nevertheless I will not have the children giggling behind my back because they have read a story about me and Sabertooth! Not even if they find the good stories. Did I just say that? I really do need help. _

_So, where was I? Right. How could I forget? Goose bumps again! _

_Frequently Logan and I fall in love after wild, sometimes mutually agreed upon sex and other times after not mutually agreed upon sex, which is my least favorite but I still read them feverishly. What does that say about me? Am I really so desperate? Am I demented? Depraved? To enjoy the thought of Logan loving me, wanting me, needing me, no one else but me? _

Remy's face scrunched up in deep thought. He was inclined to think his friend was definitely demented since she wanted Logan but he had to admit Logan had stood by Ororo through death and back. And he knew Logan had a soft spot for Ororo. He'd know right away when he'd showed up at the X-Men's with Ororo but he'd thought Logan was just an old man Ororo couldn't be interested in back then. Now he remembered how they were always messing with each other and Logan was always hanging around and kissing on her for no reason. Plus Logan had told her he was through with Jean. A man didn't do that unless he was interested.

_I feel the answer is both yes and no. For as I've read these passionate stories I've found myself noticing Logan more and more, even daydreaming about an __us__ outside of alternate universes. This both thrills and worries me. I want to believe that as a grown woman I can indulge a tiny bit. Life is good when one can indulge. I like that answer and what's wrong with that?_

"Absolutely not'ing, chère," Remy reassured his friend with a nod of his head.

_In his gruff way with that sexy, gravelly voice Logan is the manliest man I have ever met, he's magnificent, loyal, and a dear friend. He has seldom failed me, has always been there for me even as I have tried to be there for him. _

_I wonder how I could have been so blind all these years. I now cherish any time we spend together. When I'm with him I feel such attraction and I believe he feels it too, as if there could be so much more between us if only we could acknowledge it. _

"They're both cowards, too afraid of admittin' how dey feel!" Remy realized.

_I wonder what he would think if he knew there was such a thing as fan fiction, intriguing stories about him and me. Would he prefer the loathsome Jean and Wolverine stories? Would he deplore the strange pairings with Kitty, Jubilee and Rogue? Would he laugh at the ones that have him loving me? I think he would probably think we were all crazy. He would be wrong._

_In truth, I don't know what he would think and I haven't the heart to find out. I wouldn't dare risk losing a man who is so dear to me by broaching this subject. I can't fathom how he would react if he discovered this so called goddess (I laugh at that for I am in reality a coward) has come to love him in real life. _

These last words felt like a blow to Remy and he felt he deserved it. He hadn't meant to pry; he just simply couldn't resist uncovering something she'd hidden away from him. But reading her journal made him realized he didn't know her any more than the people online. Maybe he never would now. If she caught him with her diary she would probably never speak to him again, that is if she let him live.

The thought of Ororo filling him with enough electricity to light a city was enough to make him sick – almost. Slowly he closed the journal, determined to read no more, ready to place it back into its secret place. But he couldn't put it back. Those unexpected words of wishful love stayed with him. His fingers played over the smooth leather surface of her most private thoughts and he knew there was power in the secret words within, power to change, to give happiness, but also power to destroy. He could put it back, say nothing, and let Ororo remain miserable or he could do something to help her.

Remy was sure Logan had feelings for Ororo. He didn't know why Logan had never made a move but now he'd have no reason not to if he knew how Ororo felt. She would forgive him then. Remy had made his decision. He would do this because he loved Ororo and wanted her to be happy. But he was prepared for whatever might happen, good or bad.

**-xox-**

The next day was a lingering Indian summer day but Ororo alone could feel autumn coming. She savored days like this even though she could have days like this any time if she chose but there was something special and precious about a God given day of beauty. She was sitting on the side terrace nearest the garage hoping to see Logan before he went into town, just wanted to say hi, nothing more. He'd told her he was going to pick up a few things after lunch and she'd thought he'd made a point of mentioning this but she'd just told him to have a good time. Now it was an hour after lunch and he hadn't shown. She wondered what was taking so long. But it was Remy who came out not Logan.

"Ororo."

"Hi yourself."

"Stormy, we gotta talk," Remy said looking sheepish, his almost demonic eyes not meeting hers.

"Is something wrong?"

"You might kind of t'ink so."

She waited for him to continue while glancing at the back door. Still no Logan. She wondered what he was doing and why couldn't Remy just sit down and move out of her way?

"How are you?" Remy asked.

"Fine, but I really am busy, Remy."

Looking around he wondered what she meant. She wasn't reading, didn't even have a radio tuned to the news. She wasn't doing anything at all just sitting there looking at the garage. Then he understood. He'd picked a bad time. But that was a good thing. He would tell her later . . . tomorrow.

Tomorrow good, he thought, yep, tomorrow. He could hear the tune from Annie playing in his head and he almost grinned at the ridiculousness of that but if she didn't want to talk then she didn't want to talk. An irritated Ororo meant anything could happen. He still remembered when she'd shot Viper. Kevlar, hah! Well, it wasn't that funny but you never knew if the villain du jour was wearing the latest technology or not. Lately they were all into leather. Too late he realized he was losing his train of thought. But his mind had set a course for preservation so he turned and ran away.

Ororo didn't notice because Logan had just left the house and instead of heading to the garage he was headed toward her!

"Ro, darlin', we need to talk."

She grinned but Logan looked at her so strangely that her greeting died on her tongue. And then she saw what looked like the very duplicate of her journal clutched in his hand. It couldn't be and yet he held the book out to her.

"I . . . this is yers," he said.

Never had Ororo felt such stark terror. How could he have found it unless he had specifically gone looking for it? But why would he do this? She was confused. And very angry. She closed her eyes, breathed deeply and slowly. There must be an explanation. Had he read it?

"I didn't read it," he said, his eyes meeting hers with no hint of a lie.

She got up, snatched the journal from his hand then socked him. He hadn't expected that, thought maybe she'd use lightning, but he was ready when she tried for a second punch and he caught her wrist. She had a good left hook, he thought with admiration. He glanced at her hand still balled in a fist, knew it would be badly bruised later. It had to hurt. But she was too furious to feel anything but the anger that was raging inside her.

"Let me go or I will bring the heavens down on you and show you no mercy," Ororo whispered through clench teeth, little realizing how much she sounded like the cartoon Storm.

"Maybe you oughta let me explain."

"Yes, maybe I ought to let you explain," she mocked him, losing all patience.

A fierce gust of wind suddenly came out of nowhere catching them both and sending them into the air. Before he could get a better hold on her the wind shoved him from her and then he was falling. And she let him fall. What was it to her if he landed on his head, broke his neck and died? He would heal whereas she would never heal from this betrayal.

"Merde! She gonna kill him!" Remy cried as he watched Logan spiral down, down, down.

The sky grew dark and thunder bellowed. And then he saw lightning streak through the sky. Remy knew she was really going to kill Logan unless he did something to stop her! But if Ororo could kill the man she loved what would she do to him when she found out it wasn't Logan who'd stolen her diary but him?


	2. It Takes a Friend to Know a Friend

**Stolen Thoughts – by Darlin **

**Disclaimer** – I neither own them nor make any profit from the tormented fantasies of my mind.

**A/N** – Thanks everyone for the input about whether to split into chapters or not to split. I ending up adding so much to this last chapter it would've been a huge one shot. Please excuse my mistakes. I went over it at work and found so many and wished I'd just waited before posting but I have since uploaded the corrected story although I'm sure there are a lot more. I think I need a beta. Aside from typos and grammar chaos I hope you enjoy.

**Chapter Two – It Takes a Friend to Know a Friend**

After witnessing Ororo's attack on Logan, the man she was supposedly in love with, Remy didn't know whether to help Logan or run away again. When he'd seen Logan going out to talk to Ororo, with the stolen journal in hand, he'd hoped Logan would tell her how he felt but he should've known not to count on the reticent little man. Even still, for a moment Remy felt he should try and help Logan since it was his fault he was being dropped a hundred feet from the sky. But how did you catch someone who weighed as much as Logan did with his adamantium laced bones? The weight would kill him. For a second he contemplated whether death by adamantium bludgeoning would be easier than facing Ororo's wrath. Logan would survive whether someone helped him or not. Healing factor came in handy, and just now Remy wished he had one.

By the time Logan hit the ground Ororo had sped off into the sky that had become as dark as the darkness that was overtaking her body and soul. Lightning crackled and thunder bawled, matching the fury in her heart. For all that, Logan landed fairly gently. In the very last moments before he hit he'd felt her winds buoying him. His breath was knocked out of him and it hurt but he was able to stand, but when he got up and looked to the sky Ororo was nowhere in sight. He had a feeling she was close since she hadn't let him die and so was the Cajun who was about to die.

**-xox-**

When Remy had handed Logan a book he'd tried to tune the Cajun out but Remy had been persistent. And this is what happened . . .

"Man, she gonna kill me for dis, but I gotta tell you," Remy said.

"Who? Rogue? If it's some stupid lover's quarrel you two got goin' on don't put me in the middle of it."

"It ain't Rogue I'm talkin' 'bout, it's Stormy."

Logan rolled his eyes. The last thing he needed was getting involved with the Cajun no matter who was mad at him but if Ororo was mad at him then it couldn't be good. Ororo didn't do mad. She did righteous and powerful but she didn't do mad. Not often anyway. He could remember a few times she'd gone off on him. Scared him too. Not many people could put the fear in him like she could but then there was a reason for that he supposed.

"So what did you do to her?" Logan asked.

"Look, I want you to read dis, jus' dese pages, not de whole t'ing. I got 'em marked."

"What the hell is it?" Logan asked suspiciously.

"Jus' read it an' den you'll see."

Logan took the book. But when he smelled it he knew he had every right to be suspicious. It reeked of Ororo and chocolate and saline like tears. He wondered why the odd combination. There was no lock on it so it couldn't be a diary but what was it that had Gambit all worked up?

"Go on an' open it," Remy encouraged him.

Curiosity got the better of Logan and so he opened it where the bookmark was and with a shrug he picked out a paragraph and started reading.

_Apparently there are many thousands who both admire and loathe the X-Men to the point of fixation, and some of them have set up sites almost like shrines in our honor_!

Logan thought about that, wondered if a new hate organization had been formed, then finished the paragraph.

_For some unknown reason Manoli thought this was amusing and therefore thought I would share her feelings. She was wrong. I found it almost frightening and wouldn't you if someone were writing about your life, whether hating or admiring you, all desiring to do with you what they wished they themselves could do in reality?_

After reading this small sampling Logan looked at Remy and shook his head. The boy wasn't right in the head.

"What is this?" he asked with disgust. "We're supposed to be on the watch for Manoli and her stupid writer pal's now?"

"Jus' keep reading!" Remy insisted.

"I think if Ro wants me ta know what's goin' on with her an' Manoli she'll tell me."

"It ain't about you – I mean Manoli, I mean it ain't about Manoli! It's about Ororo an' how she feels . . ."

"Oh, hell no!" Logan roared. "Boy, you stole Ro's diary!"

"Jus' finish readin' it alright?"

"You must think I'm as dumb as you are, Gumbo! I ain't readin' Ro's diary an' what you need ta do is put it back before she finds out _you_ read it."

"I'll put it back after you read it! An' for yo' information I didn't read all of it, jus' de part I'm askin' you to read."

"You really think I _am_ as stupid as you!"

"It's important. I wouldn't be askin' you to read it if it weren't."

"We're gonna be attacked by what? Reporters? Writers sniffin' too much ink?"

"Ink? Huh?"

"Here," Logan thrust the journal at Remy who backed away, refusing to touch it. "What the hell's so all important you expect me to risk life an' limb for?"

"Jus' read it an' after you finish den give it back to me an' I'll put it back where I got it from an' she'll never know."

"I ain't readin' 'Ro's diary," Logan replied and turned to leave.

"It's about you!" Remy cried, a last ditch effort to change his teammate's mind.

Logan turned around slowly. "You wanna say that again?"

"Man, jus' read it."

Logan paused. He wondered what Ororo had written about him. It definitely made him curious. They were pretty close so she wouldn't have said anything bad.

"About me, eh?"

"Duh."

Logan didn't appreciate the flippant remark but whatever Ororo had written about him Remy seemed desperate for him to know. Still, as curious as he was he couldn't disrespect Ororo like that. He shook his head and thrust the journal at Remy again.

"You'll be doin' both of you a favor if you read it, Logan. I mean its jus' a few paragraphs," Remy said, still refusing to take it back.

"You're gonna die, Gumbo. Either she's gonna kill ya or I'm gonna kill ya. Now take her diary and put it back where ya got it from before I do the bloodlettin'."

But Remy shook his head. "You gotta read it, Logan, an' after you do you'll see what I mean an' like I said she'll never know."

"If what she wrote about me's so important then how am I supposed ta keep it a secret?"

"That's jus' de point, it shouldn't be a secret."

This just made Logan madder and he hauled off and threw the journal at Remy who dodged it as it whizzed past his head.

Remy didn't stick around. He left the journal on the ground and lit out of there before Logan picked the diary up and tried to throw it at him again.

"You know you wanna know how she feels about you," Remy called over his shoulder as he ran off.

Logan walked over to where the journal had fallen. He knew he shouldn't have thrown it but Remy needed some sense knocked into him. He didn't want to pick it up. He just looked at it for a while. It looked so harmless, not even worth noticing, but he knew inside it were Ororo's thoughts, recklessly stolen by her supposedly best friend. The book held Ororo's heart and her soul. Every private thought she felt was probably inside. And they would remain private. He stooped down and picked the journal up then dusted it off with his hands. He couldn't just leave it for some other idiot to read but he knew she was going to kill him when she saw he had it. It made him feel a little better knowing she'd do worse to Remy though. He wasn't exactly unhappy about that although he didn't usually rat his teammates out but in this case Remy deserved whatever Ro dished out. He, on the other hand, wasn't looking forward to the pain he knew was coming when he hadn't done anything but at least he knew she couldn't kill him and make it stick.

**-xox-**

Mortified. Petrified. Horrified. Ororo felt all that. She thought about setting fire to her journal. She thought about packing a bag and running away but she wasn't a little child that could stuff a few things into a pillow case and hide out for a while hoping that everything wrong would be made right again in some magical way. She thought of how easy it should have been to kill Logan. She thought of numerous ways to kill him now. And she should want to kill him, should at least want to hurt him, but the man was in her system, she cared too much for him to want him dead.

One of the reasons she cared so much about him was because he wasn't the type that would blatantly steal and read someone's private journal. She still found it hard to believe he'd actually looked for it, found it and took it. That was more like something Remy would do. And even though Logan said he hadn't read it he still had it which meant he'd still betrayed her trust and that was unforgiveable.

Although she'd calmed down a little the sky was as overcast as her mood. She'd hoped grabbing a pint of chocolate ice cream along with her laptop and going to sit by the lake where she could read some sweet or funny fan fiction story would lift her spirits. Or either help her decide if she wanted to toss her computer into the lake and forget about fan fiction altogether. Instead she was just standing there clinging to the laptop that filled her life with joy and angst and hope when her life was so very wanting otherwise. But as luck would have it just when she felt grief and despair would overtake her she saw Remy headed her way. She didn't notice the look of guilt and remorse on his face; she only knew that her best friend had come to her as if he'd instinctively known she was in need of a friend, a true friend. She hurried to meet him and joyfully slid an arm around his waist, hugging him with her free arm.

"Oh, Remy, you cannot know how horrible today has been," she moaned.

"Ororo . . . ."

"If you only knew how stupid I've been! And now I don't know what to do!"

"Remy t'ink he can help, chère."

"What?"

"You gonna hate me, an' I want you to know I didn't mean for any of dis ta happen. I guess I really messed up dis time, but de truth is . . . well, it was all my fault. Logan didn't take yo' diary, I took it. He was jus' givin' it back . . ."

"_**You**_?"

"I saw you wid it, you know you hid it from me yesterday, an' you know Remy can't jus' leave t'ings be if dey hidden from me. You had ta know it was like it was callin' to me, beggin' me ta find it an' . . . well . . . yeah, Remy found it."

"You read my journal then gave it to Logan to read?" Ororo screeched.

Remy bit his lip and looked away but then he sighed and looked back at her determinedly.

"Yeah. It's my fault. Logan didn't have not'ing to do wid it. He don't know not'ing you wrote about him."

"But _you_ know." Ororo was livid, and shaking so badly her laptop almost slipped from her hand. She wanted to slam it upside Remy's head. And he looked as if he knew she would as he cowered before her, his arms stretched out, ready to block the blow.

But instead she cried, "Why would you do that to me, Remy? You're supposed to be my best friend!"

"I _am_, Stormy! Dat's why I did it! I want you to be happy!"

Her best friend had invaded her privacy and stolen her journal because he wanted her to be happy. She shook her head at the outrageous notion. Was she supposed to be happy because he knew all her secrets now? A journal was the keeper of ones most private thoughts, all her loves and hates every emotion imaginable, written down for no one but her. No one should ever know her innermost thoughts unless she decided to tell. That was why it was hidden away in the darkest nook of her greenhouse where no one would ever think to look. Remy had betrayed her because of his stupid competitiveness; he'd broken the bond of friendship that she thought could never be broken between them. She was stunned and humiliated and furious but mostly she was hurt.

"Remy only dun it for you, chère!" he pleaded but a sudden wind storm drowned out his words. He felt the wind pushing him, tearing him, destroying him.

"Wait, Ororo! Logan don't know not'ing! I didn't tell him, he didn't read it – I didn't tell him anyt'ing!" Remy screamed.

Ororo's eyes were like white hot flames. Every bit of power within her was aching to burst forth and there was nothing Remy could do. His arms were stretched out behind him, pinned in place by the vicious wind, and he was unable to reach for anything to charge to use against her, to save himself even if he'd wished to fight back. He knew he deserved whatever punishment she dealt out. He'd done what he'd done knowing the risk. He saw plainly that, like Logan before him, he would be sent up into the sky and dumped into emptiness and death only he, unlike Logan, wouldn't survive.

"I'm sorry, Ororo," Remy said sadly and he truly was.

Ororo screamed as she raised her arms and set off a stream of lightning that blazed through the sky then struck like thunder into the ground all around them. A nearby tree caught fire and thunder pealed over and over as the wind rumbled furiously. Remy remembered how people always said a tornado sounds like a train and he knew they were right as he felt himself being gripped in the most powerful, deafening winds he'd ever known. But even as he thought this and prepared to die the terrifying sound ebbed then was gone and he was wrenched back to earth. On his hands and knees he looked up at the sky, quiet now, and cloudless, a beautiful blue. There wasn't even a breeze in the air, as if nothing had ever happened. Only the tree engulfed in flames on the bank of the lake was evidence of Ororo's anger. Anger that was spent.

Her eyes slowly returned to normal but the blue orbs were darker than usual. She looked at Remy with no trace of anger, with no trace of emotion at all. Her face was blank for inside she felt nothing at all. And, leaving her laptop on the ground where it had fallen in her rage, she just started walking. Remy started after her but she turned and looked at him as if she didn't know him and he stopped, too taken aback by the blank look on her face and too ashamed to speak or follow further and she turned and started walking again.

**-xox-**

Remy ran his hands through his wild, windblown hair and started pacing back and forth. He couldn't stop thinking of how Ororo had looked at him, as if she'd wiped him completely from her memory and he was nothing but a stranger to her. He wanted to go after her but he didn't dare. But it was a hard decision not to. He thought about getting Logan but knew that was the wrong person to turn to now but as he stood there trying to figure out how to fix the mess he'd made Logan came running into the clearing.

"Where the hell is, Ororo?" he shouted as he raced up.

Remy just shook his head.

"That was her signature call for help! She don't let loose like that unless there's trouble so where the hell is she?"

"She's okay."

Logan grabbed the Cajun by his shirt. "That don't tell me where she is! What the hell happened out here?"

"Man, get off me! I dun know where she is!"

"Logan, let him go!" Rogue hollered as she flew down with Scott whom she'd caught up under the arms as soon as they met up outside after hearing the raging storm.

"What's going on? Storm lit up the sky like we were being attacked," Scott said.

"Just tell us what happened to Storm, Swamp Rat," Rogue said, pulling Remy away from Logan.

"Nothin' happened! Everyone stop freaking! She ain't hurt," Remy said, but he knew that was a lie.

"Then where is she? What's going on?" Scott asked.

"An' why's that tree on fire?" Rogue asked as she looked around the windswept area.

"Let's keep dis between me an' you, Logan, alright?" Remy implored and the look he gave Logan made Logan remember this was Ororo's private business not to be aired in front of others. And it was getting crowded. Bishop and Sage were the next to come running up

"What's going on?" Bishop asked.

"What happened? Where's Ororo?" Sage asked.

"She's alright, she jus' got a little mad at me," Remy admitted.

"A little," Logan scoffed.

"Ah shoulda figured that," Rogue said.

"What did you do now?" Scott wanted to know.

"Don't you think we should put that fire out?" Rogue queried.

"What happened? Ororo wouldn't have reacted this way if something wasn't wrong," Scott insisted.

"Ah think another tree's catchin' fire, y'all," Rogue said.

"Why did Storm leave if she was okay? And where did she go?" Scott persisted.

"Will everyone jus' leave it alone already? I'm gonna take care of it!" Remy yelled.

"He's gonna take care of it alright. Come on, Gumbo we need to talk," Logan said and grabbed Remy by the throat.

"Hey!" Rogue cried.

"You stay outta this, Rouge, Gambit's coming with me _now_," Logan said although he did let Remy's throat go but he caught him by the arm instead and dragged him off.

"I think Remy's in for it now," Bishop said.

"Y'all don't think he'll hurt him much do ya?" Rogue asked.

"Remy could try but that's highly unlikely," Sage replied.

"Indeed," Bishop said and chuckled.

"Ah meant Logan!" Rogue exclaimed.

"Logan's not going to hurt anyone," Jean said, a little out of breath and the last to arrive. "What's going on? It looks like Ororo was – Oh, my gosh! Those trees are on fire!"

"What? Rogue, what're you standing around here for when there's a potential forest fire in our back yard? Get Bobby so he can put it out ASAP!" Scott ordered.

"But . . ."

"Get going!"

"But . . ."

"Now, dammit!"

Rogue cursed under her breath but obeyed orders and took off.

Remy cursed too as he and Logan stopped some yards away from the lingering X-Men. He should've been afraid but then Remy had never been afraid of much. He thought being bludgeoned to death by adamantium laced fists might just be apt punishment. Not as quick and simple as being squashed by a falling adamantium clad Wolverine but apt punishment nonetheless.

"She freaked out when she realized you stole her diary didn't she?" Logan asked.

Remy nodded. "What else you expect happened?"

"Yeah, I should've known. I just thought she was hurt or being attacked. Well, you're still alive so she didn't completely lose it."

"She was . . . kinda mad."

"Kinda, huh?" But Logan laughed. "She nearly took you out with a twister! She just sent me for a little ride in the wind."

They were both silent then, both wondering if Ororo would be okay after all this.

"Where d'ya think she went?" Logan finally asked.

Remy shrugged. "Nowhere she t'ink I'd guess she'd go."

"You really screwed up this time, LeBeau. You better hope she's okay because when I find her an' if she's not okay you'll gonna answer to me an' I'm not gonna be as nice as she was, you got that?"

"Yeah, an' dat's why I wanted you to read her diary! Your brain don't work so good wid all dat adamantium in your head, huh?" Remy said but before Logan could reply he went on glumly. "I jus' wanted to help her, dat's all. She – you know how she is – she dun want nothin' from no one an' I coulda given her somet'ing dat she really wanted but never would've told anyone, not even you, an' she could've been happy like she deserves."

"What were you trying ta give her by stealing her diary? I don't get it. You knew she'd be upset. It don't make sense."

"I'm makin' sense you jus' can't figure it out 'cause your skull's too damn thick! Of course I knew she might kill me but it was worth it to me ta take de chance 'cause _I_ can admit I love her. I mean I love her like a friend. You should've jus' read it; it was jus' a little piece. I'da put it back den she never would've known an' everythin' would've been fine. You could've said somethin' or nothin' an' none of dis woulda ever happened."

"So that lightning show w/the twister finale was my fault, yer sayin'?"

"Yeah. No! Merde! It was all my fault an' we both know it. I stole her diary an' I shouldn't have. I broke her trust an' hurt her worse dan anyone could. If you'd jus' gone along wid de program maybe you'd both be happy right now an' she wouldn't've been de wiser."

"Whaddaya keep whinin' about what _I_ shoulda done? What do I have ta do with Ororo's diary?"

"An' you thought _I_ was stupid!"

"Boy, I'm gonna . . ."

"If you can't figure out what was in her diary den you're just outta luck now, your loss jus' like Forge an' that Australian boy dat was sniffin' around her."

"What the hell? Like Forge?"

"You gonna kill me or are you gonna t'ink over what I said?"

"Oh, I'll kill you alright if I don't find her safe an' sound, you got my word on that, bub."

"And dere you go! You really care for her an' you dun even see de truth right in front of yo' eyes."

"What the hell's that supposed ta mean?"

Remy shook his head. "Jus' you're blind is all." And he walked away.

Logan looked after Remy but he didn't go after him. He went over the things the Cajun had said. Ororo's private thoughts about him, what she felt about him but didn't want him to know about. A secret. Obviously not a bad secret because once he knew about it he was supposed to make Ororo happy, Ororo and him would be happy. Why? Was he supposed to get her something or do something for her? Something Forge didn't do and that kid Slipstream didn't? He kind of thought she wanted to go out maybe but right now all he knew for sure was that Remy had hurt Ororo and she was alone somewhere and he had to find her. She needed to know that someone still cared about her. So he sniffed the air searching for the tiniest trace of her scent through the smoke from the little forest fire and when he caught it he started running.

**-xox-**

Ororo had a feeling that if her story were now being written by a fan fiction author she'd be miraculously saved by the man she loved and they'd fly off into the sunset, that she'd forgive Remy who would be the best uncle twins could ever have, because she and Logan would have twins of course, and everything would be peachy. But real life wasn't that easy. Frankly she wanted to kill Remy. She'd tried to kill Logan because of what he'd done! She'd been so angry she hadn't believed for a minute that Logan hadn't read her journal. She'd reacted emotionally rather than logically, something she seldom did because it could play havoc with the weather, but her journal contained everything she was that she didn't want anyone else to even guess at. Logan had to think she was crazy now and all because of Remy. She couldn't see how she could ever forgive him even if he hadn't told Logan anything. Remy now knew every intimate detail of her life. Yes, he was sorry, and he probably wouldn't ever say anything about what he knew but how was she supposed to face him every day knowing that he knew every good and ugly and crazy thing about her?

Oh, the things she'd called Emma! She hadn't been nice about others too. She just wasn't the saint or goddess everyone thought she was. Well, not everyone thought of her as that, at least not in the fan fiction world. She was sometimes humanized even if she did sometimes turn out to be a skank. Fan fiction. She almost growled as she thought about how she'd let Manoli get her caught up in that fantasy world. And she cursed the day she'd ever listened to the journalist. Still, she knew it wasn't really Manoli's fault. She never could have guessed that the Storm she knew would get addicted so easily. Ororo hadn't guessed as much either.

But without fan fiction she might never have noticed Logan. How did those strangers who didn't even know them see that they would make a good couple when she hadn't seen it? But those writers had been so convincing she'd actually begun to believe them. It just made sense. They were opposites and yet so alike and more than that he was a good man. He wasn't perfect but he always tried to do the right thing.

She stopped walking as this sunk in. Logan had tried doing the right thing by returning her journal to her. She almost smiled. Logan was probably kicking Remy up and down the school steps right now. She could hardly feel sorry for Remy, he deserved whatever he got. He'd betrayed her in the worse way. If she went by what everyone wrote about them nothing could ever split them up, well except sex maybe since she always seemed to be in a triangle with him and Rogue. She did laugh now. Her thoughts were downright crazy. This wasn't a story it was real life and she couldn't let Logan beat up her friend even if she wanted to beat him up herself. So, with a deep sigh, she turned around and headed back. She'd make sure Remy was alright but if he ever said anything to her about what he'd read she'd let Logan finish the job. She laughed again. There was no honor amongst thieves so why hadn't she believed that to be true between her and Remy?

"Ah well," she murmured. And then she stopped again because the cause of all her anguish was jogging up to her.

"You alright, darlin'?" Logan asked when he stopped in front of her.

He looked worried and she felt stupid. "I'm fine. I guess I overreacted."

"I don't think you did darlin'."

"Why aren't you back there beating Remy up then?" she asked.

He chuckled. "You know me pretty well, darlin'. Yeah, that was my first thought, but when he didn't know where you were I figured I better make sure you were alright first. You want me ta go back an' clock him?"

She let out a little laugh then sighed. "No, Logan. Not now anyway."

"Where you headed?"

"Back to face the music."

"If it's any consolation I didn't read your diary, 'Ro."

"I know you didn't and I'm sorry for thinking you had and for the whole . . ."

"The whole tryin' ta kill me thing? Forget about it. I don't blame you, I'da been pissed too. But now ya know who's got yer back an' who doesn't."

"You were never much of a Remy fan were you?"

"Nope," Logan said, dragging the word out.

"So, walk me home?"

He grinned and they started back.

"There must've been some pretty secret stuff in your diary," Logan ventured after a while.

"Very."

"I guess I can't blame the Cajun for being curious," he said as he glanced at her.

"He's a thief at heart. You hide something from him and he's going to do his best to find it I guess. I just didn't think he'd do that to me."

"That's messed up."

"Well, it is Remy we're talking about."

"You got any idea why he wanted me ta read it?"

Ororo stopped so Logan did too.

"You're not going to let this go are you?" she asked, suddenly feeling sick to her stomach.

"I'm a little more than curious, darlin'."

Ororo wished he could magically sense what she'd written and tell her he loved her and had from afar since forever and then everything really could be peachy and she could forgive Remy because his childish act of invading her privacy had actually worked to her benefit. But Logan just kept looking at her inquisitively with no sign at all that he was about to confess his secret love for her. He just continued pestering her.

"I'm pretty sure you didn't say anything bad about me, right?"

"Of course not."

"Kinda figured that. Well, what kind of things did you say about me?"

"Just things."

"If they weren't bad then good things?"

Ororo glared at him. "What difference does it make?"

"Might make a lot of difference. I mean if it's good stuff. If it's bad, well maybe you should keep it to yerself."

"I told you it wasn't bad, Logan."

He grinned. "Well, that's good."

She sighed. "I don't know how good it is but it's just not bad and I honestly don't want to talk about it anymore, okay?"

"Alright."

"Good."

"Fine."

They started walking again, both deep in thought. But when the fence that surrounded Xavier's property came into view they came to a halt.

"So, where were ya headed before I found you?" Logan asked.

"Oh, I don't know, anywhere but home."

"Maybe headed to Harry's?"

"Oh, how I could use a drink right now!"

"Could loosen ya up a bit," he said.

"Now you're implying I need to loosen up? I am not the ice queen everyone seems to think I am!"

"What? Who thinks that? I just meant a drink or two might get ya ta tell me what ya wrote about me."

She looked up at the sky and sighed heavily.

"Hey, if it was good then what's the problem?" Logan argued.

Her lips were firmly drawn together as if she'd vowed never to speak again. She just looked at him thinking he wasn't as great as half the people online thought he was. He was a nosey, intrusive, annoying little man.

"I mean, if it was a secret . . . well, okay, I guess it should stay secret," Logan said, feeling a little foolish for pressing her and he took her hand and urged her forward.

They started walking again but he saw Ororo wasn't going to say anything. After a while he just blurted out, "I mean if you feel like telling me you can."

Ororo pulled her hand from his and stopped again.

"But you know, if you don't want to I'm fine with that," Logan hurriedly backtracked.

"I like you Logan, okay? I like you a lot. That's all it was," Ororo admitted.

"A lot?" He grinned. "Like how much is a lot?"

"A whole lot. Stupidly a lot."

"What's that supposed ta mean?"

"I don't want to talk about it anymore."

"You kind of stupidly like me? Like it's stupid to like me? I mean what's that mean?"

Ororo sighed.

"Well, you know maybe I'm stupid too since I like you a whole lot too. Whaddaya think about that?"

She glared at him again.

"Alright, Ororo, look, I don't really think it's stupid to like you a lot," he said in an apologetic tone.

"Fine," she said lamely.

"Ya wanna tell me anything else, darlin'?"

"No."

He looked a little disappointed but then his face brightened. "So what about that drink?"

"I really could use some alcohol."

"We can hang out a little, eh?"

"I'd like that."

They changed directions and headed to the closest gate. And once again Ororo desperately wished he could read her mind then suddenly confess his undying love for her or that her fairy godmother would sprinkle fairy dust all over them and, well everything would be magically peachy. But there was no fairy godmother and Logan didn't confess undying love for her because he couldn't. He wasn't forthcoming with endearments or a profession of unrequited love because he just liked her a whole lot. That was it. So they just went to Harry's and that was all there was.

Well, there was a little more regarding Remy.

After their long walk into town Logan ordered some ice for Ororo's hand then made her take off her shoes and put her feet in his lap and he'd given her a foot massage as they sat across from each other in a booth in the back. It had been the best foot massage she'd ever had and it had also helped her relax, that and the ice cold beer and that he wasn't asking questions. She was feeling much better, the whole thievery incident forgotten for the moment. But she didn't know Logan was still curious and was in fact buttering her up. And then Remy showed up. And he had the nerve to come up to the pair, grinning like he'd just solved the problems in the Middle East.

"Wow, you two did hook up after all! I knew it!" Remy said as he spied Ororo's bare feet still in Logan's lap

Ororo's mouth opened wide. There were no words to express her anger at the sight of her erstwhile friend.

Logan looked at Remy and then at Ororo and then back at Remy who looked a little afraid and then he started laughing because he'd already figured one plus one added up to just where he wanted it to and he was glad her idiot friend was, well, her idiot friend, and had just confirmed what he'd been guessing was in that beautiful little diary of hers.

"Oh, we're hookin' up alright, Remy, an' we owe it all to you, don't we, babe?" Logan said with a wink at Ororo whose mouth only widen.

"Hell yeah! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!" Remy said and emphatically pumped his fist.

"Close yer mouth, darlin'," Logan whispered as Ororo, still shocked, continued to gape.

"You can both t'ank me by buying me a beer. You know Remy only wanted ta make everyt'ing right for you, Ororo," Remy said as he slid in next to her, grinning like a true friend would when his best friend had finally gotten what she'd long dreamed of.

But Ororo just stammered, "You . . . you . . ."

"You definitely made everything right, Gumbo. Now why don't ya give us some privacy?"

"Oh, yeah, right. Some privacy."

"Privacy!" Ororo exclaimed and jumped up. She would've lunged for him had the table and the booth not been so close together and she hadn't hit her hip on the edge of the table.

Remy wisely leapt up too and got out of harm's way while Logan got up and moved into the booth beside Ororo.

"Sit down, darlin'," he told her.

"No. I'm going to kill him," she said through gritted teeth as she rubbed her hip.

"Come on, sit down, baby," Logan urged as he gently pushed her back into her seat.

"You're taking his side I see," Ororo fairly growled.

"Now, now, baby we owe the kid," Logan said as he sat down with her.

"Baby?" Ororo repeated incredulously.

"Logan grinned and said, "Baby, think about it. I've always had a thing for you, but you always just kind of blew me off whenever I made a pass at you but now things are different . . ." and he paused then shrugged and looked at her hopefully.

Ahhhh," Remy cooed, from a safe distance.

Ororo, in turn, simply couldn't say a thing. She wasn't sure she'd heard Logan right.

"So just thank Gumbo for actually doing a good deed an' let the kid off this time."

"No!" Ororo declared, anger giving her back her voice, and she folded her arms in front of her like a petulant child.

"Come on, Ro! He did us a favor, even if it wasn't exactly the best way of goin' about it, but at least the kids heart was in the right place."

"It was!" Remy insisted still from his safe distance.

Ororo opened her mouth but she didn't know whether to cuss Remy out or to ask Logan to tell her again that he'd been making passes at her all these years. Remy took another step back as she eyed him but she turned her attention back to Logan who looked at her and smiled and patted her hand as if to let her know he was there for her. And she knew he'd always been there for her. She kind of shook her head then nodded, still a little unsure she'd heard him right. But Logan, ever hopeful, took that to be an affirmative so he took her hand and brought it to his lips and kissed it.

Ororo looked at their interlocked hands, her mouth sill wide. Logan was still grinning.

"But you do realize if yer little boy gets into your things again I'm gonna have ta give him a real good spankin', right?"

"Hey! Remy ain't her little boy!"

Ororo smiled and nodded in agreement then looked at Remy and with a sigh she shook her head and told him, "You're lucky Logan's made some good points, Remy but if you ever, ever, ever read my diary again I'm going to blow you to kingdom come, where ever that may be."

Remy nodded. That would work for him because he never planned on stealing anything of Ororo's ever again.

"That's the Ro I love," Logan said, as he wrapped an arm around her.

Ororo opened her mouth and her eyes grew wide again as she leaned back on his muscular arm.

"So, you're gonna live this time, LeBeau, but you hurt Ororo like that again an' there won't be any question about you living another day. You got that?"

"Uh . . . yeah. I got it."

"Now beat it before one of us forgets you done good for a change an' decides ta beat some sense into ya."

Remy started to say something but decided his job was done even if they didn't appreciate him as much as they should and so he made for the exit, all in one piece and still very much alive. He thought Ororo still looked confused but in a goofy, good kind of way so he figured she was just where she needed to be.

"Ro, darlin', close yer mouth," Logan said when she continued to stare, mouth still ajar.

"But . . . you just said you . . ."

"Aw hell, Ororo, I don't need ta read your diary ta know you feel the same way I do. And don't try 'n tell me ya don't 'cause I don't think there woulda been all this fuss if ya just liked me a _whole lot_."

"Well, you're right. I guess I just wish it didn't have to happen like this," she replied.

"At least it happened! Neither of us can read minds! If it weren't for Gambit we'd still be clueless. Now come here."

She thought she was already there in his arms but he pulled her to him and looked at her hard then said, "Let's see where this goes, darlin'."

"Okay," she said and smiled.

He gave a satisfied nod, said, "Good" then pulled her even closer and kissed her.

Ororo looked at Logan as he kissed her. His eyes were closed and he was really into the kiss. She felt like sighing with happiness. All the dreams she'd had after succumbing to fan fiction were coming true thanks to her wayward best friend, and so she succumbed to Logan and kissed him back while silently thanking Manoli too, for giving her fan fiction for without it there would be no RoLo and oh yes she was going to make sure there was going to be lots of RoLo.

**~Finis~**


End file.
